Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and chemically induced diabetes mellitus. Effect of omega-3 fatty acids.

In a previous study, we showed that prior oral feeding of oils rich in omega-3 eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid and omega-6 gamma-linolenic acid and arachidonic acid prevent the development of alloxan-induced diabetes mellitus in experimental animals. We also observed that 99% pure omega-6 fatty acids gamma-linolenic acid and arachidonic acid protect against chemically induced diabetes mellitus. Here we report the results of our studies with omega-3 fatty acids. Alloxan-induced in vitro cytotoxicity and apoptosis in an insulin-secreting rat insulinoma cell line, RIN, was prevented by prior exposure of these cells to alpha-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid. Prior oral supplementation with alpha-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid prevented alloxan-induced diabetes mellitus. alpha-Linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid not only attenuated chemical-induced diabetes mellitus but also restored the anti-oxidant status to normal range in various tissues. These results suggested that omega-3 fatty acids can abrogate chemically induced diabetes in experimental animals and attenuate the oxidant stress that occurs in diabetes mellitus.